1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a double-retaining connector in which a half-inserted condition of a terminal can be positively detected through a spacer, and also the locking of a terminal retaining lance can be positively canceled by a jig rod.
2. Related Art
FIG. 5 is a conventional double-retaining connector disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 7-282884.
The double-retaining connector 25 comprises a connector housing 26, female terminals 27 inserted into the connector housing 26 from a rear side thereof, and a retaining spacer 28 inserted into the connector housing 26 from a front side thereof.
The terminal 27 is retained by a projected portion 30 of an elastic terminal-retaining lance 29 (formed within the connector housing 26) engaged with an edge portion 31 of a hole in the terminal, and the spacer 28 is inserted into a flexure space 32 for the terminal retaining lance 29, thereby preventing the terminal retaining lance 29 from being accidentally flexed. As shown in FIG. 6, the spacer 28 has a provisionally-retaining projection 33 and a completely-retaining projection 34 (for engagement with the connector housing 26 (FIG. 5)) formed respectively at opposite side portions thereof. The spacer 28 also has a jig rod insertion groove 36 formed in a central portion thereof, and a lock-canceling jig rod 35 (FIG. 5), such as a slotted screwdriver, can be inserted into this groove 36.
In a provisionally-retained condition in which the spacer 28 is withdrawn in a direction of arrow b (FIG. 5), the jig rod 35 is inserted into the connector housing 26 through the jig rod insertion groove 36, and the terminal retaining lance 29 is flexed or elastically deformed by the jig rod 35, thereby canceling the locking of the terminal, and then the terminal 27 is withdrawn.
The insertion of the terminal 27 is effected in the provisionally-retained condition of the spacer 28. If the insertion of the terminal 27 is incomplete, the terminal retaining lance 29 remains flexed, and in this case, when the spacer 28 is inserted into the connector housing, a distal end 37 of the spacer 28 abuts against the distal end of the terminal retaining lance 29, so that the spacer 28 fails to be completely retained, and therefore the incomplete insertion of the terminal is detected.
In the above conventional construction, however, the spacer 28 has reduced rigidity since the jig rod insertion groove 36 is formed in the spacer 28 as shown in FIG. 6, and particularly where the jig rod 35 to be used has a larger width so that the cancellation of the locking can be effected positively, the jig rod insertion groove 36 also has a larger width, and the rigidity of the spacer 28 is further reduced. Therefore, in the terminal half-inserted condition (incompletely-inserted condition), even if the spacer 28 interferes with the terminal retaining lance 29, the spacer 28 can be forced into the connector housing, which results in a possibility that the half-inserted condition of the terminal can not be detected.